How to grow your own fruit bushes

Saturday 5 April 2008 19.08 EDT
First published on Saturday 5 April 2008 19.08 EDT

1 starPlant: November to FebruaryHarvest: August to November

The last of the summer's soft fruits, the blackberry bush can withstand almost anything mother nature thinks to throw at it - even those pesky birds.

Recommended varieties: According to Lia Leendertz, Loch Ness is extremely popular because it "produces a high yield from thornless, compact plants - perfect for small gardens. Alternatively, the vigorous Ashton Cross produces vast crops with a proper wild blackberry flavour. But Kotata, with its beautiful long, black glossy berries, perhaps boasts the best flavour of all."

Sowing and planting: Blackberries fruit on both old and new wood, so don't require your most fertile patch. They can also be planted in a spot that sees little sunlight and will happily crop away with very little fuss. These bushes are so hardy they can even be planted as a windbreak. Plant in rows and train stems along wires held in place by stakes at intervals of 240cm. Allow 150cm between rows and set roots 7-10cm deep. Alternatively, train up 3m poles or stakes driven into the ground.

Cultivation: You'll need to tie stems in as they grow, so choose thornless varieties to make life easier for yourself. Mulch yearly to conserve soil moisture. A light sprinkling of potash in the spring will also improve the quality of your berries.

Pests and diseases: Blackberries yield such a bumper harvest even the birds won't manage them all. If you're feeling particularly protective, cover bushes with nets. Raspberry beetle also affects blackberries causing the stalk to dry up and turn a grey-brown colour. Give the birds something else to feast on by hoeing the surrounding soil to bring pupae to the surface.

Harvesting: The berries are ready to harvest when you can gently twist them off the cane. Pick in dry weather.

Storage: Blackberries are best eaten fresh but freeze exceptionally well.

Extending the season: Blackberries won't crop beyond November.

Growing in a container: These immense bushes aren't suitable for containers. Your best bet is to pillage a local wild patch ...